How to Connect Claude Code to Stripe with MCP

Connecting Claude Code to Stripe lets Claude read and change Stripe data, search Stripe's docs and plan an integration while it writes your payment code. Stripe hosts the server at mcp.stripe.com and documents Claude Code setup directly.

Checked against: Stripe's MCP documentation and Claude Code's MCP documentation on 28 October 2026. eSEOspace did not run these steps; menus can change, so follow the vendor's page if it differs.

Before you start

You need Claude Code installed and a Stripe account. For the plugin route, you also need npm to install the Stripe CLI.

Check that MCP is allowed on your Stripe account. Stripe says administrators can enable or disable MCP access for the whole team, separately for live mode and sandboxes.

If your company manages your device or network, Stripe says IT might block external MCP servers. Ask them to allow mcp.stripe.com.

Steps

Option A: Stripe's agent plugin (recommended)

Stripe says the plugin configures the MCP server, installs Stripe's skills and keeps them updated:

npm install -g @stripe/cli@latest
stripe agent setup

Stripe says the command "automatically detects which agents you use, and runs the applicable commands."

Option B: Add the server by hand

1. Run Stripe's command:

claude mcp add --transport http stripe https://mcp.stripe.com/

1. Start Claude Code and run /mcp.
2. Select stripe and sign in. Stripe's OAuth consent page lets you grant access to one or more live mode accounts or sandboxes, with different permissions for each.

Start with a sandbox only. You can add live mode later by signing in again.

Option C: Agent API key

For clients that need persistent access without OAuth, Stripe says to add the server to your project's .mcp.json and reference an environment variable, rather than passing the key on the command line:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.stripe.com",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${AGENT_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace AGENT_API_KEY with your variable's name and set it in your shell before starting Claude Code. Create the key with only the permissions the agent needs; Stripe marks these keys with an Agent badge. See Claude Code secrets management.

Check that it works

Run claude mcp list and look for ✔ Connected. Inside a session, /mcp lists Stripe's tools.

Example prompts:

• "Use Stripe to get my account info and tell me which account you're connected to." (uses get_stripe_account_info)
• "List my 10 most recent customers in the sandbox." (uses stripe_api_read)
• "Search the Stripe docs for how to handle failed subscription payments with webhooks." (uses search_stripe_documentation)

Stripe also lists stripe_api_search and stripe_api_details to find API methods and their parameters, and stripe_implementation_planner to plan an integration.

Permissions and safety

Stripe's stripe_api_write tool runs supported POST, PATCH, PUT and DELETE methods. Treat this connection as high risk.

• Human confirmation. Stripe says it "requires human confirmation before it takes certain stripe_api_write actions, such as refunds and outbound payments." You click the agent's link, review and approve, then tell the agent to retry. Approvals expire after 24 hours.
• Tool approval. Stripe says to "turn on your MCP client's tool-approval setting." In Claude Code, keep mcp__stripe__stripe_api_write on ask. Claude Code's permission rules let reads run while writes still prompt.
• Prompt injection. Stripe says to "exercise caution when using the Stripe MCP with other servers." See prompt injection in Claude Code.
• Revoke sessions. Authorized clients appear under OAuth sessions in your Stripe user settings. Administrators can revoke other users' sessions from Team and security.
• Key deadline. Stripe says to migrate by November 30, 2026. Unsupported keys then get a 401 with an OAuth discovery challenge.

More controls are in the MCP Security Center.

If it doesn't work

These come from Stripe's and Anthropic's docs:

• Won't connect on a work device. Ask IT to allow mcp.stripe.com.
• MCP access turned off. A Stripe administrator controls this per environment in the Dashboard.
• 401 with an API key. Your key may be a full-access secret key or a restricted key without the Agent tag. Create an agent API key or switch to OAuth.
• Header rejected, no OAuth prompt. Claude Code's docs say a rejected Authorization header shows as a failed connection; it doesn't fall back to OAuth. Remove the header to use OAuth.
• Variable reads as empty. Check the environment variable is set in the shell that starts Claude Code.
• Connected accounts. Stripe says OAuth isn't supported for acting on connected accounts. Use an agent API key with the Stripe-Account header.

Next step

Read the Stripe MCP server profile for the supported API methods. Other setups are in the connection guides hub, including Claude with Stripe and Cursor with Stripe.

Frequently asked questions